A Promise for Stockton?

For years, California has been a campaign fundraising ATM for presidents of both major political parties.

For years, California has been a campaign fundraising ATM for presidents of both major political parties.

Democrats know they have California and its estimated 55 electoral votes virtually wrapped up every four years. Republicans know there's not much they can do about it.

So when presidents, such as Barack Obama or George W. Bush, do pay attention to California, it's often not to solve our myriad problems. It's for fly-in, thousand-buck-a-plate fundraisers.

When President Obama last year talked about creating 20 "Promise Zones" for troubled American cities, Stockton seemed like the absolute blueprint for what he was trying to accomplish.

Overcoming bankruptcy. Fighting poverty. High crime. Housing market meltdown. We needed help - and presidential help would have been great.

The White House rolled out the initial five selections for Promise Zones. Stockton was not on it.

There are more to come. Suffice to say, we're not confident Stockton will make Obama's cut.

"I know the congressman is very disappointed and upset," said Nicole Alioto, chief of staff for Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton. "He's asked the president to visit Stockton and see the need. And that hasn't happened."

There's still time, Mr. President. And the need is still very apparent.

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Never has it felt quite so good to fall out of a top 10 ranking.

San Joaquin County foreclosures dropped dramatically in 2013, with filings falling to only 1 in 60 housing units, placing 25th among large United States metropolitan areas.

There are many cities, so that still is a relatively high ranking.

But not for a county that has been at or near the No. 1 spot every year since 2006, when the housing bubble did more than burst - it went "splat."

"Stockton is no longer one of the epicenters of the foreclosure crisis," said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, which tracks the numbers. "That certainly is a significant shift for a market that seemed it was perpetually being hit hard by the foreclosure crisis."

That bodes well for the future housing market - and home prices - but is far from a clean bill of health. Improvement must continue.

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If Operation Ceasefire is going to work, it will take crucial traits: frequency and follow through.

The multiagency crime-fighting operation was at it again, swooping in on documented gang members, making arrests and spreading the word to gangs that more action is coming.

The program targets Stockton's most dangerous offenders, who police say cause most of the violent crime.

"They were given a very direct message," said Officer Joe Silva, a Stockton Police Department spokesman. "Stop the violence. Put down the guns and stop shooting. If you don't do this, you are going to be part of a large enforcement mission like we saw here today."

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Robberies of any sort are troubling, and a new trend definitely qualifies.

Police report seven robberies or burglaries of pharmacies in Stockton since May 20.

The main target of thieves is cough syrup.

They're looking for the ingredient promethazine with codeine, a syrup that commands four-figure payments per pint on the street, because it can be mixed to make a concoction called "Purple Drank."

The drink has the effects of some drugs, creating a woozy feeling and a "high."

So far, robbers have been hitting smaller pharmacies and have avoided the chain stores prominent at many key intersections in Stockton.

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AgVenture continues to be a great way for area schoolchildren to learn about how the food on their plates gets there.

More than 3,000 third-graders from area school districts took part in AgVenture at the San Joaquin County fairgrounds last week.

The idea was to give children a look at the process of planting, growing and harvesting the crops, with a side dish of information on nutrition.